


The First Supper

by Yubsie



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-15
Updated: 2012-10-15
Packaged: 2017-11-16 09:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/538159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yubsie/pseuds/Yubsie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dining together is a great way to start and strengthen relationships within a crew.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The First Supper

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Zoe/Wash ficathon at LJ's Zoe/Wash community, for whichwitch666, who requested pre-series romantic and sexual tension that is resolved by the end of the fic and the process of falling in love.
> 
> Thank you to Tess for betaing. Thanks also go to my sister for Chinese translations!

His first dinner on _Serenity_ , Wash wasn’t sure where to sit. He certainly had enough options, with far more than four chairs in the dining area. The captain sat at the head of the table with his first mate to his right. The chair next to her was empty and did carry a certain amount of temptation. He wasn’t sure he quite had the courage for that. She didn’t seem like she would take kindly to it. No, the other side of the captain was definitely the safer option. Besides, it was a nice view. That was certainly a selling point for his choice of seat.

“How are you finding _Serenity_?” the captain– Mal– asked.

“She’s a good ship. I was hoping to talk to your mechanic.”

“He’ll be along. Bester’s not one for missing meals,” Zoe said. 

The mechanic entered as if on cue. “Hey, food. Oh, who’s the new guy?”

“Pilot,” Zoe said tersely.

“Wash,” he said, extending a hand. “You must be Bester.

“Yup, that’s me,” he said, sliding into the chair next to Wash and heaping his plate with protein.

“Just the guy I wanted to see! I’ve got some questions about what you’ve done with the engines so far. I want to know just what we can do with this bird.”

“Uh, okay...”

Wash questioned the mechanic about issues ranging from the wiring of the bridge controls to the converters in the engine, but he seemed to avoid the question in favour of recounting his sexual conquests.

“And there was this one girl on Boros–“

“Yes, but how are our fuel cells?”

As he changed the subject back _away_ from Bester’s love life, Zoe– well, not smiled, but stopped glaring at any rate. He wondered what she would look like if she smiled. He was sure she would be even more beautiful. He swore to somehow find out.

***

The first time she brought him supper on the bridge, it was not her idea.

“You want me to do _what_ , sir?”

“I already told you, take some food up to Wash. I need him on the bridge, but he still needs to eat.”

Zoe didn’t see why it had to be her that did it, but Mal was the captain. She had followed him into certain death; she could follow an order to bring supper to their stranger pilot. 

That particular description was reinforced when she found him playing with those dinosaur toys of his. She didn’t understand how he could be keeping watch with little plastic trees covering the display.

“Oh, hi Zoe.” That goofy grin. What kind of grown man smiled like that? The same kind who played with plastic dinosaurs while on watch, she supposed. Like she needed another reminder that she wasn’t in the military anymore.

“Captain thought you might be hungry,” she said, handing him the plate of poorly disguised protein.

He shifted his toys around to make room for his meal. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

“Pilot fainting at the helm is bad for the ship.” She turned to leave, but gave a glance back over the shoulder. He did seem to be checking the displays regularly, even the ones under the trees. At least he was more competent than Bester, even if he _was_ phenomenally irritating. And a messy eater. He’d barely begun his meal and there was already protein on his awful shirt.

***

The first time Wash sat next to Zoe at dinner, he didn’t have a choice in the matter. Mal had decided that taking on passengers would make the ship vaguely resemble a respectable operation, and the new mechanic insisted that they join the crew for dinner. Kaylee had settled herself in between an older couple and their handsome son and was chatting up a storm. Wash had already become accustomed to his spot next to her, which made it easier to make grand plans for _Serenity_. That wasn’t the only seat unavailable though. Every chair in the dining area was occupied except for one. Wash wasn’t sure whether to rejoice or curse that it was next to Zoe.

Well, she was a practical woman. Surely she would see it as taking the only option available, not cause to kill him.

She nodded in acknowledgement when he sat down. That was good. He was fairly sure she couldn’t kill him with a nod. Not unless she was signalling to hidden snipers, but he didn’t think she hated him _that_ much.

Kaylee decided that they should liven up the meal by trading stories, and suggested Wash go first. “You always have the funniest stories!”

He launched into the sordid tale of putting himself through flight school by working as a fry cook. Or rather, attempting to do so. It was a tale of woe, spattering grease, fire, ice and cleaning fluid. As he finished, he risked a glance over at Zoe. Could it be? Yes! It did indeed appear to be a smile!

She was gorgeous.

“You are lucky you’re a great pilot, because you were apparently the worst frycook in the history of the ‘verse.”

A smile and a _compliment_? She must have had those hidden snipers after all. There was no other explanation.

***

The first time she did it, she didn’t know why. Their passengers had disembarked safely on Persphone, leaving plenty of space around the table. That pilot clearly had every intention of going back to his usual seat next to Kaylee when Zoe gestured at the chair next to her. “Wash. Over here.”

The confusion on his face mirrored that she felt herself, but he still took the seat. Zoe picked up a napkin and tucked it into the front of his jumpsuit.

“What are you doing?”

A good question. “You are the messiest eater I’ve ever seen outside of a highchair.” 

“Oh. Well can you pass me some imminent mess?”

She wasn’t sure which made her smile: his answer or the fact that he left the napkin in place. She found herself smiling a lot at that meal. Kaylee was right, he did have a knack for making his stories mighty entertaining. Once, she even found herself laughing out loud.

She caught herself before she leaned against him. Now why had she tried to do _that_? She’d eaten plenty of meals where she wasn’t quite sure what the main course was, but she’d never had a dinner quite as mysterious as this.

***

The first time Zoe _decided_ to bring him supper on the bridge, he assumed that Mal had ordered her to do it again because Kaylee was busy. Then he noticed the second plate.

“I thought you might be getting hungry,” she explained.

Wash glanced at the double portion. “Exactly _how_ hungry?”

She set one plate down in front of the co-pilot’s chair and brought the other over to him. As had become normal, she tucked a napkin into the front of his jumpsuit. “Watch ain’t always got to be so lonely.”

“Well, I have the dinosaurs.”

Zoe laughed. He was happily adjusting to her doing that. “They don’t seem like the most responsive audience.”

“Hey now, don’t sell them short. But I do appreciate the company. You really understand ships.”

“Hmm?”

“Well, not ships, but crews. You really seem to understand how crews work.”

“I suppose.” She took another bite. “Someone needs to.”

“You fought in the war with Mal... when did you have time to learn so much about crews?”

Zoe shrugged. “When do people have time to learn to live in their home?”

“Oh, so before you joined up?”

Zoe nodded. “Grew up in the Black.”

Wash couldn’t believe it. She was talking, sharing details about herself and her past.

“You’ve got food in your mustache.”

“Oh. Oops.” Wash dabbed at his face.

“You should shave.”

“I– what?” Wash nearly choked on his protein.

“Well, there’s no way in hell I’m going to kiss that _thing_.”

Wash found himself choking again. She couldn’t have said that. Gorgeous, capable woman like Zoe? She couldn’t have.

Zoe came over and picked up the empty plate. “You should stop doing that. Would be embarrassing if you did it in the restaurant.”

“Restaurant?” She seemed to be a few steps ahead of him all of a sudden.

“Next time we’re planetside.”

She really said that. _Shanshan_!

***

The first time they ate together planetside, Zoe knew exactly where to go. It was the best restaurant on the planet. Not the fanciest, but the best for real food at prices they could afford. “Reservation for Alleyne.” 

The waiter gave the pair of them a strange look, but led them to the table anyway. When they had eaten and she kissed a face now free of hair, she decided she could definitely get used to dining with this man. And maybe there could be rooms more exciting than the dining area.

**Author's Note:**

> Translation:  
>  _Shanshan_ : Sparkling


End file.
